Katarina Barley, leader of the German Social Democrats (SPD), called for a second Brexit referendum this week, arguing British voters were misinformed about the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

“When the referendum was held, nobody really knew what it would be about – not the British people, not even the political class,” Barley said during a TV interview.

“A lot of people incorrectly thought that Britain could get a deal like Switzerland or Norway without the inconveniences, without accepting the rulings of the European Court of Justice, without free movement of labor. Now they know that this isn’t the case and they should be asked to vote again on this.”